1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a filter cigarette, and more specifically to a filter cigarette having a filter composed of water soluble biodegradable material and to a water soluble filter therefor.
2. State of the Prior Art
Most smokers prefer to smoke cigarettes having a cigarette filter. The cigarette filter tends to cool the cigarette smoke, thereby creating a more pleasant smoking experience. Also, the cigarette filter may remove a portion of the more noxious components of the smoke, thereby creating a somewhat healthier smoking experience.
Commonly, cigarette filters comprise a core of water insoluble filtering material, such as bonded cellulose acetate tow. Typically, the filter comprises a short cylindrical plug of the filter material which is rolled along with the tobacco in the cigarette paper to form a completed cigarette. However, the filter may be separately wrapped in paper, and then attached to the end of the cigarette.
There is little doubt that littering is a significant problem. Some smokers discard spent cigarettes in public places. Of course, a burning cigarette may not be simply tossed into a garbage can, as it poses a combustion hazard. When out of doors, smokers may throw their spent, yet still burning, cigarette butt to the ground. Typically, the smoker extinguishes combustion of the cigarette by stepping on the cigarette butt, thereby cutting off its supply of oxygen. Commonly, the extinguished cigarette butt, or even a still smoldering cigarette butt, is simply left upon the ground. Some inconsiderate drivers empty their automobile ashtrays on roadways and in public parking lots, thereby littering public areas.
The filter material of most of today's cigarettes requires a long time to decompose in the environment. Of all the cigarette components, the filter material is typically the last to degrade. In areas frequented by smokers, such as building entrances, spent cigarette butts tend to accumulate, creating an unsightly mess.